This invention relates to a process for treating meats and meat by-products which are considered to be inedible for human consumption but which may be used in the production of animal foods. More particularly, the invention relates to a process in which inedible meat products which have been decharacterized with a FD&C coloring agent are counter-colored by mixing the decharacterized meat products with a color which is complementary to the decharacterizing color to thereby provide the decharacterized meat with a substantially natural meat-like color.
Under Federal regulations, certain meats and meat by-products are considered to be inedible for human consumption but are still suitable for use in foods not intended for use as human food, such as in animal foods, particularly canned pet foods. Examples of such inedible materials include portions of carcasses having non-septic bruises or injuries, mechanically deboned beef, hand deboned beef from U.S. condemned "3-D" or "4-D" carcasses, certain portions of carcasses, such as livestock lungs, etc. However, Federal regulations require that certain meats and meat by-products which are inedible for human consumption be denatured in such a manner that the material is given a distinctive color, odor or taste in order to deter its use as food for human consumption. The denaturant must be mixed intimately with all of the material and must be applied in such quantity and manner that it cannot be removed by washing or soaking. Several approved denaturing agents which may be used to decharacterize such inedible meats and meat by-products are listed in 9 CFR 325.13(a) and include finely powdered charcoal, FD&C green No. 3 coloring, FD&C blue No. 1 coloring, and FD&C blue No. 2 coloring. Of these, finely powdered charcoal is most widely used by suppliers of such inedible materials for use in animal foods. However, the black color imparted to the inedible material by the charcoal persists throughout production of the animal food and often results in unacceptable animal food products due to a darkening or graying of the intended color of the finished pet food products. The use of the approved FD&C colors to decharacterize the inedible material has not been generally acceptable heretofor to many animal food manufacturers for the FD&C colors appear to have an affinity for and to concentrate in the cartilagenous tissue of meats and meat by-products and persists throughout production of the animal food. The resulting product is often unacceptable commercially due to the presence of the FD&C coloring agent in portions of the product.